Heater based on utilization of jet propulsion units



March 25, 1952. B. LINDENBAUM HEATER BASED ON UTILIZATION OF JET PROPULSION UNITS Filed March 8, 1948 ififlllld p IIIIIIIIII In lllllllllll II BEENHED HTTOE/VEYS Patented Mar. 25 1952 OFFICE HEATER BASED N UTI PRO uzlirroN 0F JET PULSION UNITS Bernard Lindcnbaum, Dayton, Ohio Application March 8, 1948, Serial No.- 13.735

4' Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to heating apparatus and particularly to heating units having combustion-operated power means for moving the heat through the system, whereby no external source ofpower is required for this purpose.

An object of the invention is to provide mechanism in which jet propulsion units are employed to generate both the heat and the power necessary for distributing it.

Another object is to employ a fan or blower for moving the heat through the apparatus and mounting a series'of ramjet units at or near the periphery of the fan or blower to coincidentally generate the heat and the power necessary for moving it through the apparatus.

Another object is to provide a heating unit having a fan or blower with ramjet units near the periphery of the blades for simultaneously generating heat and the necessary power for distributing the heat and having also means for maintaining separation of the products ofcombustion from the usable. heated air.

Another object is to provide a heating unit of the. character described with a single rotatable element having a series of ramjets for giving it propulsion and means for guiding the products of combustion from the ramjets through a heat exchanger for extracting the usable heat.

Another object is to provide heatingapparatus of the character described with a rotating element of relatively large diameter and placing the ramjets near the periphery and placing means nearer the center for moving the usable air through the system with partitioning means for keeping the usable air and the products of combustion separated. I

Other objects, advantages, and meritorious features will be readily apparent upon consideration of the description when taken in conjunction with the drawing, wherei'n: I

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken on the line ll of Fig. 2 through a heating unit which embodies my invention in its simplest form and which is applicable for heating airplane engines and like uses where toxic. products of combustion may be intermixed with the heated medium without injurious effect.

Fig. 2 is an end view of theheatingunit. shown in Fig. 1'.

Fig; 2a." shows the. bearing arrangement and the fuel. ducts of Fig. 1 to an enlarged; scale.

amount of. fuel whichzmay (Granted under the act of March amended April 30, 1928-; 370 0.

3, 1883, as G. 757) 2 Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a slightly more intricate heating unit which embodies my invention. and which is applicable for heating buildings, vehicles and like uses where the toxic products of combustion may not be allowed to intermix with the heated medium.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The more simple structure shown in Figs. 1, 2-, and 2a.. may first be described as follows:

concentrically but nonrotatably supported in a cylindrical housing ID by triple-arm end brackets I2 is a fuel tank M of stream-line contour. Tank I4 is constricted intermediate its ends for bearing l 5 for a freely rotatable fan. Hi, the. hub of which for purposes of assembly is divided into: halves-havinglugs I! through which cap screws 2.! extend to hold the halves together.

A pair of ramjets [8* are carried on two of the blades of: the fan l6 near the outer ends. Ducts. 20: supply the ramjets with fuel from the tankv I47, a circular row of'radial holes 22 being provided through the wall of the tank at the constricted portion and through the fan hearing at [9 for communicating with the ducts 20 in supplying fuel to the ramjets. Seals 24 are provided' to preventfuel leakage between the bearing l5 and the hub of the fan IS. A filler plug 26: is provided for filling the tank M with fuel. Leg members 28 Support the housing l0 so as to keep it raised off the ground.

The exemplification of my invention shown in Figs. 1 2a. and 2 is. particularly adapted for warming aircraft engines since it requires no outside power'source. Moreover, this use of the device does not require that the toxic products of combustion be separated from the heated air which is'used in warming the engine.

The". ramjet's provide bothv the heat and the power for' moving the heated air to the engine which is to beheated'. They may be of the selfstarting'variety or be started by auxiliary poweras. desired. They are located as far out on the fan blade as: possible whereby the relatively high speedsnecessary for their proper operation is attained.v The fan rotates. at. suificiently high speedito insure a continuous supply of fresh air whereritis taken in by-the ramjets.

the application of the de- It. will be; seen that vice; Figs. 1 and 2, to the above use is highlyappropriate since a relatively low power output for fuel consumedis not a necessary factor, for such portion. of. the fuel which is not converted tozpoweris converted to heat. Considering. the

be converted. to heat,

the apparatus is simple in construction, small in space used and light in weigh In the somewhat more complex embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 3, a cylindrical outer casing 30 and a cylindrical inner casing 32 are held incoaxial relation by an annular heat exchanger 34 to which the upper edges of the easings are secured. A circular disc 36 is fitted to the inner diameter of the heat exchanger 34 at its upper end, the outer edge of the disc being welded or similarly secured to the exchanger.

The heat exchanger may be of the tubularboiler type and comprises a series of vertical tubes 3| having their ends spaced apart both radially and circumferentially in heads 33. The hot gases of chamber 64 pass vertically through the inside of the tubes 3| while the uncontaminated air of the chamber 66 passes upward through the deflectors 46 then horizontally through the spaces 35 between the tubes, thus coming in contact with the heated outside of the tubes.

.A tubular member 38 is concentrically positioned with respect to casings 3n and 32 the upper end of the tube being joined, by welding or similar means. to the circular disc 36. The lower end of the tube 38 concentrically supports a bearing cage 46, maintenance of concentricity being assisted by several circumferentially spaced apart radial braces 42 each of which connects the bearing cage 40 to the inner surface of the inner casing 32.

Intermediate the ends of the tube 38 are several eircumferentially spaced radial braces 44, the inner ends of which are fastened to the tube 38 and the outer ends to the heat exchanger 34. A series of annular bell-mouthed deflectors 45 are concentrically positioned on the braces 44 and welded or similarly fastened thereto.

A fan 46 has an upwardly extending shaft 48 upon which the inner races of antifriction bearings 66 are spaced by the tubular spacer 52, the outer races of the bearings being push fitted in the bearing cage 40. A nut 54 clamps the two inner races and the spacer together. A short shaft 56 depends from the underside of the fan and is connected by a rotating joint 58 to the fuel up y p e 60.

v Q A series of ramjets 62 are attached to the blades of the fan 46 and receive their operating fuel through ducts 66 which extend radially through the blades of the fan 46 thereby connecting the ramjets to the fuel supply pipe 60, the ramjets being preferably of the self-starting variety, although auxiliary power may be provided for this purpose if desired. It will be noted that the inner casing 32 is in two parts with the fan 46 extending through the gap between the two parts, the upper part being supported by its attachment to the heat exchanger 34 and the lower part resting on a series of circumferentially spaced radial strips 63, whereby the outer end of the fan which carries the ramjets is confined within the annular combustion chamber 64 while the inner portion of the fan is confined within the cylindrical fresh air chamber 66. A labyrinth seal 68 is provided where the fan passes through the inner casing 32 but this seal may be quite freely fitted since the greater part of the fan is within the inner chamber 66, whereby the pressures are so controlled that any flow of fluid above the fan will always be from the inner fresh air chamber 66 to the outer combustion chamber 64. It is noted that with the arrangement shown there is at all times an abundant supply of'fresh air entering the bottom of the combustion chamber 64 to insure efficient operation of the ramjets.

A filter 10 is supported on the underside of the radial strips 63. An annular plenum 12 of D- shaped cross section surrounds the heat exchanger 34 and is provided with a series of spaced apart distributing pipes 14. A fume collecting cover 16 is attached at its outer edge to the heat exchanger 34 and is provided with a centrally located stack 18 to carry off the toxic products of combustion.

The operation of the heating unit shown in Fig. 3 is substantially as follows:

, chamber 66 After the ramjets 62 are started, the rotative speed of the fan 46 may be regulated by any suitable valve means 11 in the fuel supply pipe 60. The outer portions of the blades of the fan 46 which are contained in the annular combustion chamber 64 are preferably so angled as to create only slight pressure and relatively slow upward movement of the air in the combustion chamber, whereby the hot air gives up the greater portion of its heat as it passes slowly through the heat exchanger 34 into the cover 16 and out the stack 73.

The inner portions of the blades of the fan 46 which are contained in the cylindrical fresh air chamber 66 being so angled as to create a slightly higher pressure in the cylindrical fresh air chamber 66 than in the annular combustion chamber 64, such leakage as may pass through the loosely fitted labyrinth seal 68 will always be from the into the chamber 64.

As the fresh air moves upward in the cylindrical chamber 66 it is turned for radial movement by the deflectors 45 after which it moves radially through the heat exchanger 34 into the plenum 12 from which it is conveyed to the area to be heated by the pipes 14. Thermostatic devices for regulating the heat output by control of fuel admitted to the ramjet, whereby the speed of the ramjet is regulated, or for regulating the output by intermittent operation may be provided.

While in the foregoing description of the heating unit shown in Fig. 3, a hot air type is indicated, it is self evident that the circulating medium may as readily be a liquid in which case the inner portions of the fan may be replaced by the impeller of a pump or a separate liquid pump may be provided.

Various other structural arrangements may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is intended to be defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a heating unit, a cylindrical casing open at the ends, fuel supply means carried within said casing and having a bearing portion, means for holding said fuel supply means in said casing with said bearing portion coaxially positioned therein, a bladed fan rotatable about the axis of said portion, a plurality of ramjets carried on the blades of said fan, said ramjets all being oriented to produce torque in the same direction, said blades having fuel ducts extending from said bearing portion through said blades to said ramjets, and said bearing portion having a passage communicating said supply means with said ducts.

2. In a heating unit, a cylindrical casing open at the ends, a fuel tank carried within said casing and having a bearing portion, brackets holding said fuel tank in said casing with said bearing portion coaxially positioned therein, a bladed fan rotatable about the axis of said bearing portion, a plurality of ramjets carried on the blade of said fan, said rarnjets all being oriented to produce torque in the same direction, said blades having fuel ducts extending from said bearing portion to said blades to said ramjets, and said bearing portion having a, passage communicating said tank with said ducts.

3. In a heating unit, a cylindrical casing open at the ends, a fuel tank of stream-lined contour carried within said casing and having a bearing portion, brackets holding said fuel tank in said casing with said bearing portion coaxially positioned therein, a bladed fan rotatable about the axis of said bearing portion, a plurality of ramjets carried on the blade of said fan, said ramjets all being oriented to produce torque in the same direction, said blades having fuel ducts extending from said bearing portion to said blades to said ramjets, and said bearing portion having a passage communicating with said ducts.

4. In a heating unit, a cylindrical casing open at the ends, a fuel tank of stream-lined contour carried within said casing and having a bearing portion comprising a restriction in said tank intermediate its ends, means for holding said fuel tank in said casing with said bearing portion coaxially positioned therein, a. bladed fan rotatable about the axis of said bearing portion and intermediate the ends of said casing, a plurality of ramjets carried on the blades of said fan, said ramjets all being oriented to produce torque in the same direction, said blades having fuel ducts,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 505,697 Bridges Sept. 26, 1893 2,220,065 Cornell Nov. 5, 1940 2,414,829 McCollum Jan. 28, 1947 2,414,830 McCollum Jan. 28, 1947 2,415,064 McCollum Jan. 28, 1947 2,446,258 Cummings Aug. 3, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 261,239 Germany June 19, 1913 

